Western Cape
Cederberg Wilderness Area · Goukamma · Rocherpan
Self-driveMalaria-free
Stays in Western CapeWhere to see
Where to see the Little Swift in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Little Swift at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.
Apus affinis
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Little Swift
Hosts have recorded the Little Swift at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park.
Best hours of the day
- The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
- Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.
Where to base yourself
- Western Cape
Limpopo
Kruger
LimpopoSelf-driveStays in Limpopo
Northern Cape
Kgalagadi
Northern CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Northern Cape
Eastern Cape
Kwandwe
Eastern CapeGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Species
Apus affinis
Records
841
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Little Swift on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Little Swift in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Little Swift at stays in or beside Cederberg Wilderness Area, Goukamma Nature Reserve, Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Rocherpan Nature Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Little Swift in South Africa?
The Little Swift is most recorded in Western Cape (24% of records), Mpumalanga (24% of records), Limpopo (17% of records), based on 841 iNaturalist observations. 73 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Little Swift on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Little Swift?
The Little Swift is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Little Swift?
The little swift (Apus affinis), is a small bird, superficially similar to a barn swallow or house martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Little Swift
Every stay on the Little Swift page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay